Data processing system and method including an I/O touch pad having dynamically alterable location indicators
First Claim
1. An input/output (I/O) touch pad for receiving user inputs and generating dynamically alterable visual and tactile location indicators, said I/O touch pad comprising:
- an interactive surface including a plurality of addressable unit locations that are selectively enabled to form location indicators for assisting a user to locate corresponding input regions on said interactive surface, said interactive surface comprising;
a visual output layer including a matrix of individually addressable visual output elements, wherein each of said individually addressable visual output elements is situated at one of said plurality of addressable unit locations; and
a tactile output layer including a matrix of individually addressable tactile output elements, wherein each of said individually addressable visual output elements is situated at one of said plurality of addressable unit locations such that each of said tactile output elements is co-located with a corresponding one of said plurality of visual output elements within each of said plurality of addressable unit locations, and wherein each of said tactile output elements is a heating element situated beneath its corresponding visual output element.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A data processing system and method including a touch pad capable of receiving inputs and providing outputs utilizing a surface of the pad. The surface is first enabled to receive inputs utilizing a plurality of input regions specified within the surface of the I/O touch pad. An output is provided utilizing the surface of the touch pad by outputting a first plurality of location indicators for assisting a user to quickly locate at least one of the plurality of input regions. The surface is then enabled to receive inputs utilizing a different plurality of input regions specified within the surface of the I/O touch pad. The output is then dynamically altered in response to the specification of the different plurality of input regions by outputting a second plurality of location indicators for assisting the user to quickly locate at least one of the different plurality of input regions. The output is altered synchronously with the enablement of the surface to receive inputs utilizing the different plurality of input regions.
-
Citations
9 Claims
-
1. An input/output (I/O) touch pad for receiving user inputs and generating dynamically alterable visual and tactile location indicators, said I/O touch pad comprising:
-
an interactive surface including a plurality of addressable unit locations that are selectively enabled to form location indicators for assisting a user to locate corresponding input regions on said interactive surface, said interactive surface comprising;
a visual output layer including a matrix of individually addressable visual output elements, wherein each of said individually addressable visual output elements is situated at one of said plurality of addressable unit locations; and
a tactile output layer including a matrix of individually addressable tactile output elements, wherein each of said individually addressable visual output elements is situated at one of said plurality of addressable unit locations such that each of said tactile output elements is co-located with a corresponding one of said plurality of visual output elements within each of said plurality of addressable unit locations, and wherein each of said tactile output elements is a heating element situated beneath its corresponding visual output element. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
-
-
6. A method for providing an input/output (I/O) touch pad for receiving user inputs and generating dynamically alterable visual and tactile location indicators, said method comprising:
-
providing an interactive surface including a plurality of addressable unit locations that are selectively enabled to form location indicators for assisting a user to locate corresponding input regions on said interactive surface;
providing within said interactive surface, a visual output layer including a matrix of individually addressable visual output elements, wherein each of said individually addressable visual output elements is situated at one of said plurality of addressable unit locations; and
providing within said interactive surface, a tactile output layer including a matrix of individually addressable tactile output elements, wherein each of said individually addressable visual output elements is situated at one of said plurality of addressable unit locations such that each of said tactile output elements is co-located with a corresponding one of said plurality of visual output elements within each of said plurality of addressable unit locations, and wherein each of said tactile output elements is a heating element situated beneath its corresponding visual output element. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9)
-
Specification